Cushing’s is a severe hormonal disorder that causes too much cortisol, a life sustaining stress hormone, to flow through your bloodstream. This overabundance of cortisol (much like speed…inherently you are “on steroids”) causes everything from emotional lability to psychosis to osteoporosis and diabetes…no matter what age you present at.

Some of the clinical signs and symptoms to look for include: hirsutism (irregular hair growth), adiposity (abdomen obesity), weight gain in unusual areas, in face-moon face, behind neck-buffalo hump, insulin resistance, sleeping disorders, anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADD, many cognitive issues, etc. Some signs that differentiate Cushings from PCOS include lower testosterone than PCOS patients, striae (bright red stretch marks), suppressed immunity (recurrent infections), irritability, mood swings, episodes of rage, more psychiatric symptoms, “moon face”.

There are different forms of Cushings.

For classic Cushings patients, it can take up to five years to obtain a diagnosis. That is only if your primary physician is keeping track of your progressive symptoms and the pattern of them. If your primary physician does not blame you for becoming obese on your own, then you have already won one third of the battle (potentially depending on your type of insurance as well…). For these patients that are not deemed subclinical, it is more rapidly life threatening than the other form of Cushings.

For cycling or mild Cushings patients, it can take decades to receive an accurate diagnosis. Many patients-those that are lucky- have survived multiple heart attacks and other complications before receiving a diagnosis. They have a way more difficult time receiving the proper medical care and a way harder time attempting to get a cure. These are the very difficult, unique medical cases.

The following pictures illustrate what is called “moon face.” The high levels of cortisol tend to cause facial fullness, water retention, and change your appearance. This is an example of what happens to a patient’s face and appearance over the years with Cushings.

This is a Cushings patient’s clinical presentation. The weight gain is mainly centralized, long red striae marks all over body, many cognitive issues, etc. Not every patient presents with every sign and symptom.

To find out more medical information about Cushing’s syndrome, I suggest you check out this video…

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 05/21/2013  Clinical Article

1. Nicola M. Neary*,
2. O. Julian Booker*,
3. Brent S. Abel,
4. Jatin R. Matta,
5. Nancy Muldoon,
6. Ninet Sinaii,
7. Roderic I. Pettigrew,
8. Lynnette K. Nieman and
9. Ahmed M. Gharib

-Author Affiliations

1. 
   
   Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology (N.M.N., L.K.N., B.S.A.), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; Laboratory of Cardiac Energetics (O.J.B.), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; Integrative Cardiovascular Imaging Laboratory (J.R.M., R.I.P., A.M.G.), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; Critical Care Medicine (N.M.), Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; and Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service (N.S.), Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892

1. Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Ahmed M. Gharib, MB, ChB, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 3-5340, Mail Stop Code 1263, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. E-mail: agharib@mail.nih.gov.

1. ↵* N.M.N. and O.J.B. contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

• Received October 29, 2012.
• Accepted March 7, 2013.

• Copyright © 2013 by The Endocrine Society

From JCEM

Related articles

• Cushing’s syndrome increased risk for coronary arterial atherosclerosis (maryomedical.com)

Common signs and symptoms involve progressive obesity and skin changes, such as:

• Weight gain and fatty tissue deposits, particularly around the midsection and upper back, in the face (moon face) and between the shoulders (buffalo hump)
• Pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, breasts and arms
• Thinning, fragile skin that bruises easily
• Slow healing of cuts, insect bites and infections
• Acne

Women with Cushing’s syndrome may experience:

• Thicker or more visible body and facial hair (hirsutism)
• Irregular or absent menstrual periods

Other signs and symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness
• Depression, anxiety and irritability
• Loss of emotional control
• Cognitive difficulties
• New or worsened high blood pressure
• Glucose intolerance that may lead to diabetes
• Headache
• Bone loss, leading to fractures over time